A Necessary Roughness
by turbo denali
Summary: Korra learns the hard way that you can't always force your way through life. Sometimes you just have to let go.


**Disclaimer: **_The Legend of Korra_ and all associated stuffs are not mine. The end.

**Author's Note: **I was _supposed_ to write another installment for "Welcome to the Framily." Then i got distracted. My bad.

**P.S.:** This fic is similar in concept to "Higher Devotion." In fact, it was inspired by the part where Korra says, "Spiritual enlightenment through orgasm. Who knew?" I wanted to write a story with a strong spiritual theme because i really miss the spiritual element that was so present in _Avatar_. Also, i wanted to write something a bit rough and naughty- or as one might say on Tumblr, "moar smuts." So enjoy.

**P.P.S.: **I feel like it's my responsibility to warn you that this is a dirty story. A really, truly inappropriate piece of dirtiness. If you're expecting good, clean fun or some sweet, gentle love scene like you'd find in a harlequin romance novel, you should probably click the "back" button now. Just sayin'…

* * *

This was becoming something of a tradition. Not that it was a problem, of course. Mako had come to expect Korra's late-night visits. Sometimes- and with increasing frequency, he noted- she would even stay until morning. It was a tradition he quite liked.

The realization came to him as he propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at the slumbering Avatar next to him. She had been a bit frustrated and impatient when she snuck into his room last night, but the tension appeared to have since left her body. Her face was peaceful and he could hear even breaths escaping her slightly parted lips. Early morning sunlight spilled over her relaxed form and illuminated her tousled hair. His white bed sheets were tangled around her legs, striking a sharp contrast with her mocha skin. A smile tugged at his lips. She could never seem to last the night without kicking off the covers in her sleep. Korra was a fighter, even when unconscious.

As he let his eyes trace her exposed side and slide over the curve of her hip, Mako thought about how much things had changed between them in the past few months. Spring was almost over and the couple had spent most of the season growing closer and doing their best to live up to every stereotype of springtime and young love.

Of course, it didn't hurt that Korra had found a physical approach to spiritual enlightenment. And Korra was nothing if not a physical person.

"What's got you smiling at this unholy hour?"

Mako laughed gently as Korra rubbed her eyes and squirmed a little- as if doing so might let her sink into the bed and pretend morning hadn't arrived. "I was just thinking about the day when you came out of meditation and announced you'd discovered a way to speed up your spiritual training."

Despite her apparent grumpiness, Korra let out a small laugh of her own. "The look on Tenzin's face was priceless."

"Maybe. But you know," he said, "you didn't have to tell him that Aang was the one who suggested taking the tantric approach to enlightenment." Mako brushed her bangs off of her forehead.

Korra stretched and shifted closer. "Well, I thought he already knew. I mean, he and Pema are practically repopulating the world with airbenders all on their own."

She wrapped an arm around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a deep, slow kiss. Mako only halfheartedly resisted being pushed onto his back. He waited until she straddled him before sitting up to take a nipple into his mouth.

"Don't you have early morning meditation to go to?" he murmured against her breast. "Tenzin will be upset if you're late. We'll have to hurry."

Korra arched into him and laced her fingers through his hair. "Then I guess there should be less talking and more kissing. Hm?"

Mako stopped talking.

/

Emptiness. Then light. Warmth. Energy. Balance.

Korra let the feelings drip through her, felt them seep into her bones. Every time she meditated, she could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper. She was heavy and weightless, dark and bright, weak and strong- all at once and never at the same time. She felt detached and yet so very connected. The feeling was always the strongest when she was coming out of her meditation. As if her spirit and mind were reluctant to return to her body.

Slowly, she became aware of her surroundings. First, the touch of wind upon her face. Then, the stirring of hair on the back of her neck. A gentle rush down her spine and arms. A tingle in her legs. A buzzing in her toes.

Korra opened her eyes and, as always, experienced a few heartbeats of immobility before she was finally able to shift her weight and move her limbs. Slowly, she leaned back and unfolded her legs. The soft bay wind carried its salty scent up to the meditation pavilion and Korra appreciatively breathed in the brisk air. Looking around, she allowed herself a moment to take in her solitude and watch the air acolytes below as they scurried about, finishing off their morning chores before the day got too warm.

Immediately, Korra felt the urge to rush down to help them or go find a sparring partner. Even just going through some basic forms would bring some relief. But that wouldn't be a good idea. In this case, working out her frustration instead of thinking it out would probably only make things worse. Reluctantly, Korra forced herself to remain on the pavilion.

With a groan, she lay on her back and covered her face with her hands. "What is wrong with me? Things were going so well. So why is everything stuck?"

"Why is what stuck, Korra?"

Korra uncovered her face and looked up to see Tenzin patiently staring down at her. "You know," she said, "you look pretty funny upside down."

The master airbender walked around her prone form and sat down in front of her. When Korra sat up, he asked, "Have you hit a block?"

"Sort of." Korra let out an exasperated sigh and leaned heavily on one arm while gesturing wildly with the other. "It just doesn't make sense, Tenzin. I was doing _so_ well. But for the past two weeks, I haven't made any progress at all. At first, I thought maybe I was just slowing down. And now I'm beginning to think I'm at a total standstill. It just doesn't. Make. Sense."

Tenzin tugged on his beard and looked at her thoughtfully. "Has anything… changed recently?"

"Like what?"

"Well…" Tenzin, suddenly embarrassed, seemed to lose the ability to make eye contact. "I know you've found a way to… _enhance_ your spiritual training. I was under the impression that… _method_ was working for you."

Korra would have laughed if she weren't so upset with herself. She never understood why someone who had so many children would be so shy when it came to these matters. Of course, to be fair, even she was a bit shy when she and Mako first started dating. But that hadn't lasted long.

"Oh, no. That's fine," she said, pretending not to get a little kick out of his obvious discomfort. His ears started turning red and she couldn't help but add, "The sex is _fantastic_."

"Korra!"

"What? You asked."

Tenzin's ears went from red to purple. "That's not- I didn't- You know what I meant!"

Korra frowned, the weight of her frustration suddenly settling upon her shoulders once more. "I know. And no, nothing's changed. I just feel like I've hit some kind of plateau. Like when I'm practicing a form and I know I'm doing really well, but I also know I can do better."

"Perhaps you just need to relax. Take your time, Korra, and maybe this block will pass on its own."

"Yeah, or maybe it'll just stay," she said with a huff.

"Korra…"

The young Avatar hopped to her feet, no longer able to stay seated and pretend to be patient. "I'm just going to go find something to hit," she said. "I'll see you at lunch."

Tenzin's eyes narrowed in concern as he watched his protégé's rapidly retreating form. He knew she would work through her block, but that didn't keep him from feeling worried.

/

When she reached the training grounds, she found Mako with one of the White Lotus firebending masters. The two had obviously just finished a training session and Mako gave a little bow appropriate for a traditional firebending student. The memory of Mako's happiness at finally receiving proper training brought a brief smile to her lips. She always found his enthusiasm infectious.

"Good morning, Avatar Korra," said the firebending master.

Mako turned around at the sound of her name and grinned. He motioned for her to join them and she obligingly stepped forward, pausing reflexively to bow at the edge of the dirt ring before entering. The look of physical exhaustion and glee on his face made her forget her own frustrations and she smiled at them.

"Good morning," she said. "I take it the training is going well."

The firebending master nodded, obviously pleased with his student. "It's wonderful to find someone who's so naturally talented and willing to work hard to find new ways to improve."

His tone hit a nerve with Korra and even though she knew his comment had nothing to do with her, she felt her cheerful expression slip. Mako noticed immediately and quickly turned to his teacher.

"Thank you, Sifu Kozan," said Mako. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Of course. I look forward to it."

The older man shuffled off and Mako glanced sideways at Korra. Her smile had disappeared completely and she stared dejectedly at the loose dirt under her boots.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Mako moved to stand in front of her and lifted her chin with his fingertips. "It's never nothing. You wouldn't hunt me down before lunch if it was nothing."

Korra shrugged, suddenly unable to voice her disappointment with herself. "Just nothing."

"Oookay. We can keep going back and forth like this, or you can tell me what's wrong."

"Or we can do nothing." Korra shifted her weight onto one foot and looked away. "You know what? Nevermind. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come down here to bother you. I just hit some kind of block in my meditation and I came here to complain about it. But that's something I've got to fix on my own."

"Don't worry. You just need to push through it." Mako smiled in a way that spoke of unconditional support and she suddenly found it oddly annoying.

"Don't you think I've been trying that?" she demanded.

Her voice carried across the training grounds and Mako raised an eyebrow. "Well maybe I can help. I can help you talk it out," he suggested.

"I doubt it," she huffed.

"What is wrong with you? You've been on edge for days now, Korra."

"What's wrong with me?! Nothing's wrong with me. I can get past this block and I don't need your help or Tenzin's help. I'm the _Avatar_ and I've got this."

Mako's throat tightened and he noticed that their raised voices had begun to draw attention. Wonderful. "You know what, _Avatar Korra_?" he asked in a low growl.

"What?"

"I don't feel like being your punching bag right now. I'll see you later."

His abruptness caught Korra off guard and all she could do was watch him pivot on his heel and walk away. Immediately, her own words sank in and she bit the inside of her cheek. "Wonderful," she muttered to no one. "I'm an ass."

/

The night was unseasonably chilly, but it seemed to have little affect on Korra. She stood outside the door to the male dormitory, unfazed by the cool breeze that swept down the covered walkway.

Leaving her room had probably been a mistake. Sleep was beyond her reach and going for a walk seemed like a good idea at first. It didn't seem to help at all, unfortunately. All she could do was replay the day in her head and wince. Every moment was an embarrassing blow. She had been so frustrated and upset with herself that she didn't even join everyone for dinner.

It was childish. She could easily admit that to herself. But that didn't make her feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse.

Korra thought back to her spat with Mako and grimaced. The truth was, she _had_ wanted to talk to him. But she had just taken her anger out on him instead.

Korra blinked and came to a halt, realizing she had tiptoed down the hall, directly towards Mako's room. She toyed with the idea of turning back. He was probably asleep and didn't want to have anything to do with her. She continued to tell herself that it was a bad idea, even as she silently slid his door open and slipped into his room.

Quietly, she toed off her boots and padded over to her slumbering boyfriend. She sat on the edge of his bed, the mattress dipping under her weight, and leaned down to run her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry," she whispered as he began to stir.

"Korra?" he rasped. His voice was rough with sleep even though his eyes seemed alert. "What are you doing here?"

The harshness in his voice caused her shoulders to slump. "I wanted to apologize. I can't sleep and I need to apologize for the way I acted today."

"So you decided to wait until the middle of the night to tell me?" Mako sat up and propped his elbows on his bent knees.

"Yeah, I guess so." Korra looked down. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have come in here. I should've waited until tomorrow."

Mako, now fully awake, reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I can think of better ways to wake up, but I'm not complaining."

"So you're not mad?" Korra leaned into the hand that had moved to cup her cheek.

"Oh yeah, I'm still kind of mad. But I get it, Korra. I really do. I know you have to deal with a lot and there's only so much I can do. And I know we're going to fight, because that's who we are. But I also know that we'll get over it, forgive one another, and move on." Mako shifted and leaned in to kiss her. "Because that's who we are."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, since you've come in here and woken me up, you might as well tell me what's got you upset. You've been tense for days."

Korra looked at him, saw the way the moonlight lent a silvery glow to his pale, naked chest, and forced herself to focus on the topic at hand. "Meditation," she said. "I've hit a block in my meditation and I can't push through it."

"Hm. But I thought that…" Mako tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and glanced away. "You know. I thought that _this_ was helping."

"Hey, don't look like that. I'm the one who's supposed to be feeling inadequate here." Korra quickly moved to straddle his hips. "And you are most _definitely_ helping."

"Then let me help more," he said. "Talk to me about your block."

Korra took his face in her hands and kissed him soundly. "It's okay. I've got it. It's my block and I'll push through it," she said after pulling back to nibble on his bottom lip. She felt him hardening beneath her and instinctively ground down into his lap. Her lips were back on his immediately, swallowing his groan.

A pair of hands found her shoulders and unexpectedly pushed her away. "That's not what you're doing right now."

"What?"

"No." Mako's amber eyes locked onto her blue ones. "This isn't you trying to push through. This is just sex."

Korra stared, a little taken aback. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way. But is that such a bad thing? I mean, I thought you wanted…"

"It's not bad." Mako pulled her back to him. "I think you should just let me try to help you."

"And how do you propose to do that, cool guy?"

"I propose that you let go."

"What?"

Mako's lips drifted lazily down her neck. "I said that you should let go. I think you're being too forceful with your block and you need to learn to give up control. Just go with the flow and see what happens."

Korra gasped when Mako settled on a particularly sensitive spot by her collarbone. "Are you sure you don't have a little airbender in you? Because you're starting to sound like one." Korra leaned forward and pressed herself against Mako, expecting him to relax back onto the mattress.

He didn't move.

Odd. Korra's fingers drifted down towards the waistband of his pants and a pair of hands clamped down on her own. Her hands were immobilized. Also odd.

"Mako?"

"I said I think you need to give up control," he whispered. His voice was tinted with a note that sent a shiver of warning down her spine.

Korra suddenly found herself crushed against his solid torso and the next thing she knew, she was somehow between him and the bed. Mako pinned her arms above her head and used the weight of his body to press hers into the mattress. Before she could react, he was kissing her. Only this time it was a kiss of possession. A kiss of control. She couldn't respond in any way other than to simply accept his unexpected aggression.

A gasp slipped out of her mouth as he moved against her, letting her feel him against the entire length of her body. She felt a familiar and sudden dampness between her legs and reflexively tightened her thighs around Mako's waist. He quickly sat up and yanked her shirt up and over her head, tossing it heedlessly over his shoulder.

Cold air bit at her exposed breasts and she propped herself up on her elbows in an attempt to reach him. She didn't get far.

Mako put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down- almost forcefully- and lowered his head to her hardened nipples. Korra's breath hitched when she felt teeth against her skin instead of the lips and tongue she was expecting. She arched against him and tried to grind into him. Her new position should have allowed her to easily turn the movement into a roll so that she could be on top once again, but a pair of strong hands found her hips before she could make the move. Instead, she found herself caught in a bruising grip and her breath quickened. This wasn't the Mako she was used to. This was something different. And she was beginning to suspect she liked it.

Suddenly, Mako's weight was no longer holding her in place. The firebender was standing next to the bed, shoving his pants down and stepping out of them. Korra began to scoot towards the edge of the bed, but found herself once more under Mako's controlling hands. When she resisted, he pulled her to her feet and held her close. With one hand on her hip and the other gently stroking her cheek, Mako leaned and placed a soft kiss on her lips. The tenderness she was used to had returned.

As if he could sense her confusion, he let his mouth drift along her jaw. "Let go, Korra," he whispered into her hair. "You can't always be in control of life. Sometimes, you have to trust what's around you to guide you and keep you safe. Trust your friends." Mako's mouth returned to hers. "Trust _me_."

Korra found herself relaxing and leaning into his solid form. Taking this as a sign to go ahead, Mako once again immediately seized control. His hands cupped her rear and gave a hard squeeze as his tongue darted out to play with the shell of her ear. Gasping, Korra's arms flew around his neck and she held on tightly, as if he was the only reason she was still on her feet.

Without warning, Mako turned to the side and pulled her with him, spinning her so that her back was flush against his chest. Korra found herself facing the mirror on the door of his wardrobe and she saw herself, illuminated by the moonlight, half naked and glistening with sweat. Her hair tumbled over her bare shoulders, her cheeks were flushed, and her swollen lips remained slightly parted. Mako stood behind her, pressing his naked body against her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, buried his face in her neck, and bucked his hips, grinding his cock into the cleft of her buttocks.

Korra let her head fall back to expose more of her neck and here eyes drifted shut. Mako nipped at her neck.

"No," he said softly. "Look." Nip. "Watch yourself in the mirror." Nip. Tongue. "I want you to see what I'm doing to you." He watched a bead of sweat slide down to the hollow of her throat. His tongue darted out to catch it.

She couldn't will herself to fight. And so she watched as his hands skimmed her sides, one sliding up to her breasts and the other to the drawstring of her pants. Mako's hand slipped past the waistband of her pants and went straight for her slick folds. His practiced fingers knew where to go and she watched, panting, as she rocked against his hand. Even in the darkness of the room, she could see the ripple of muscles in his forearm as he worked her, watch his dilated eyes grow hazy and feel his cock twitch against the small of her back.

A loud moan escaped her. The tension and warmth continued building with each curl of his fingers, each flick against her clit. She knew from the change in speed and pressure that Mako could tell she was close. So close. And then it was over and she was gasping and arching and grasping on to his strong arms.

Korra let Mako hold her up and struggled to catch her breath. When she was able to focus again, she started to pull away. Mako's gaze locked on to hers.

"We're not done yet," he said.

He spun her so that she was facing the bed and bent her over the side. Korra caught herself on the edge of the mattress and craned her neck so she could see him. Mako's entire body seemed flushed and he was breathing as hard as she was. The way he stood and the way he looked at her sent a shiver down her spine. It was almost as if he was someone different. Someone wild and animalistic.

Suddenly, Mako reached for her pants and yanked them down. He pushed them to her knees and then, obviously impatient, nearly ripped them off of her lower legs. Korra felt completely exposed then- more than ever before- and she whimpered softly. She instinctively lifted her hips and tilted her pelvis in invitation for what she knew would come next.

Then came the words she almost didn't hear.

"What was that?" she managed to ask.

"I said tell me what you want, Korra."

Korra almost whined in exasperation. "You know what I want."

"No, I don't," he said. His voice held a teasing note. "But I know what _I_ want."

A tremor of anticipation washed through her. "What?"

Mako leaned over her bent back and kissed her spine. "I want to be inside you. I want to fill you. I want to make you scream."

Korra twisted her upper body and reached for him. She slid her tongue into his open mouth and bit his bottom lip as she pulled back. "Then do it," she said. "Please, Mako."

His hands were back on her then, pressing hard enough to leave bruises. And when he finally slammed into her, a choked noise fell from her throat. Korra fisted the sheets and cried out as he thrust into her. He owned her in that moment. She had given him complete control. All she could do was let him dictate their movements, their rhythm. Before that moment, she hadn't known she was able of letting him dominate her so completely. Until that moment, she didn't know she would enjoy it so much. She arched slightly and felt him drive into her with an unexpected force and speed. He grunted as he thrust into her, almost like he sensed she had finally relinquished all control.

His pace picked up and his hips slapped against hers as if he was now losing control of himself. She knew he must have already been close because he reached around and found her clit. His movements took on a hint of desperation and he let loose a guttural moan.

Mako's hips stuttered slightly and she could feel him come deep inside her. The sensation drove her over the edge and she quickly joined him, his name tumbling from her in a loud cry. His grip loosened and he slipped out of her as he took a step back.

Korra was vaguely aware of a pair of hands guiding her and she soon found herself nestled against Mako's side. She curled up against him, relaxing and finding an odd satisfaction in the musky smell that always lingered on his skin after they were together. Once she finally regained control of her breathing, she became aware of the feel of his fingers tracing invisible lines up and down her arm. It was only then that she dared to break the silence.

"Mako?"

"Hm?"

"That was definitely… different."

She could feel his chest shake with laughter. "But a _good_ different."

Korra's lips curled into a mocking grin and she propped herself up on one elbow. "_Someone's_ awfully sure of themselves. I mean, how do you know it was good? Maybe I think it was just… okay."

Mako's mouth was on hers instantly. "Because you're horrible at faking it," he said against her lips. "And besides, I think you might've learned something tonight."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Maybe," she admitted.

"Definitely."

"Possibly." One of her hands began to snake down his torso as she leaned down to press her breasts against his chest. "Only possibly."

"Seems like we'll need to review tonight's lesson," Mako said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"I hear practice makes perfect."

Mako sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Confused, Korra watched him walk over to the small chest of drawers where he kept his clothes.

"Mako, what are you doing?" she asked as he straightened and turned towards the bed. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion when she saw the red scarf in his hands.

"We're going to need this."

/

Tenzin was surprised but not displeased to find Korra already in deep meditation when he reached the pavilion. He squinted through the early morning glare to see her seated in the half-lotus position she seemed to prefer. Her posture was perfect. Shoulders relaxed, back straight, head angled just so. She seemed uncharacteristically calm and at peace.

So pleased and caught off guard by his student, Tenzin decided to simply sit and wait rather than join her in meditation. When Korra's eyes opened and she let out a sigh, he stood and moved into her line of sight.

"This morning seems to have been much kinder to you than the others," he remarked. "Have you perhaps moved beyond your block?"

Korra let her hands rest on her knees and smiled earnestly. "Sort of. Actually, I didn't move beyond the block. I didn't even go around it."

A laugh escaped her when Tenzin raised a single quizzical eyebrow.

"I let the block move past me," she said.

"Really…"

Korra shrugged. "Yeah. I decided it was better to try not forcing my way through and just take the passive route instead. And it worked."

"That's wonderful, Korra!" Tenzin said with an earnest smile. "I'm so proud of you. This is a big step."

"Thanks." Korra smirked, suddenly unable to resist the dig. "Of course, I can't take all of the credit."

"How so?"

She stretched lazily and then rubbed a bruised hip. "Mako helped. A _lot_."

"_Korra_!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Oooh, look at that. There was almost a real plot here! Okay, you caught me. I confess, i just pretended there was a plot so that i could say this fic was more than just some rough, hot, dirty smut. Also, what little "plot" there was helped me justify making Korra give up the dominant role in bed- if only for a short time.


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